Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-05-04
GIBBS
Dallas County Convention Speech.
THE CONVENTION.

d Dallas County Convention Speech.
THE CONVENTION.
Mr. Tucker has called this county con-
vention in strict accord with the call
issued for d state convention, which in
.yited the Participation of all who were
seRposed to the pending prohibition
amendment. This enables every man who
believes that such legislation is contrary
to the fundamental principles of free
government, and who believes the amend
ment itself nnwise and calculated to ma
terially injur the prosperity of Texas, to
rally under one flag. This is as it should
be, for while Mr.. Jefferson uttered senti-
ments diametrically opposed to such leg
islation, and while Senator Vest and other
leading Democrats have made strong
speeches against prohibition and inserted
declarations againstit in national plat
forms, there have also been able
speeches made against it by some Repub-
lican leaders. Governor Andrews, the
Republican Governor of Massachusetts,
caused the prohibitofy Jaw in that state
to be repealed by showing in ar able ar
gument that efter years of trial it had
done no good but had increased taxes
and expenses and the consumption of
whisky, and made hypocrites and perjur-
ers of the people. The convention to
meet in Dallas next week will be a large
body Of representative men who have
no interest in the liquor traffic, but who
propose to profit by the experience of
other states which have tried prohibition
to their hearts content, and who honestly
believe that the adoption of this amend
ment will prove Of great damage to
Texas ard the principles Of free govern
ment.
THE PROHIBITION CAMPAIGN.
The Prohibitionists opened their cam
paign very hurriediy, and called a con-
vention at Waco, largely composed Of
preachers, white and black. The first
thing this convention did was, through
its organs, to make a mans vote on this
question test of his Christianity and So
cial standing. 1t is the first campaign in
Texas where mans vote on political
question ever submitted him to so much
abuse or where it was made q church and
social qualification; yet there is not
man in the sound of my voice but what
knows that such has been the case in this
instance. According to the printed pro-
Ceedings of the Waco convention, the
ministers, white and black, each pledged
! the other the vote of their pc ople on this
| question.
That these tactics, coupled with the
! vituperation of accredited organs, have
caused some men to suppress their true
! sentiments there is no denying. When
men who have drank liquor to excess all
their lives or otherwise SiDned are made
! to believe that they can settle with the
Lord or get into good society by one lit
! tie ballot, it is such sp easy mode of set
| Element that many will accept it. This
| beats settling at 20 cents on the dollar.
Some men are scared to death by the
abuse of the prohibition organs; to all
such 1 say it will do no harm. have in
| formation from a dozen different places
where men, some claiming to be minis
tiers of the gospel, hsve got
! ten up and slandered me
in night meetings and some
times from the pulpit. have letters from
one lady and two gentlemen that one man
| made speech, or rather sermon, from
the pulpit in Frankfort or Lebanon. Col
Him county, and denounced Colonel Mills
Iand myself as drunkards and said that
HAD run for Office on the Republican and
(
! men who wrote me were not acquainted
with me personally, but were Mortified at
the use the pulpit was put to and said
| they knew it was SANDER, and there is
not an honest man in Dallas but what
will say the same thing in regard to his
statements. have letters from strangers
to me, but reputable men, who give the
date and exact words by other men of the
same character, and with their permission
may print them all later on, and [ shall
at least speak at every point where such
ISLANDERS have been perpetrated, and every
man who is assailed should do likewise.
They begun their campaign by SEM ing
out some men whose chief aim was to
bulldOZe and slRnd.r those who took q
position against them, so as to sea e of
others from doing likewise. 1t has
worked on some of the chicken hearted.
A prominent minister in the city Of Dial
las told me IN the presence of three other
gentlemen that Dr. Cosby and no other
minister could be prominent III the
| church who was not Prohibitionist;
another promIHent minister in the city
told me that next year, and no other time,
4 would they vote for any Democrat %ho
ffadn9t helped 10 carry prohibition, and
that could never hold another office be-
cause 1 had gone against the Christians.
This shows what an active and intolerant
spirit the people of Texas have got to
contend against in this fight for what we
consider political freedom and the best
interests of Texas.
There never has been time in the his
tory of Texas that required more courage
and cooler, calmer judgment than Is to
be exercised on this occasion. A man
may be as pure as the tcicle that hangs
| from DiSna's temple, and he Will be sub
iected to villifcation and anathems if he
goes against the Rrohibitionist saints
The young men who ARE familiar with
history should not allow themselves sup
pressed by this character of political
warfare, but only become the more de-
termined in their resistance to illiberal
and tyrsnnical legislation. When Sam
Houston and Throckmorton resisted Sc
ceSsion IN the convention of Texas they
Ewere denounced, spurned and dIstrQsted
by the people who were worked upto 8
! fever heat; get it was only few. years
until they had the renewed confidence OF